BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Standing beside the emerald waters of the Dulong River in southwest China's Yunnan Province, Beijing-based traveler Li Li closed her eyes and let the crisp mountain air fill her lungs.
"I didn't come here just to check off a bucket list," she said. "I wanted to live here, even if just for a few days, to share stories around a Lisu ethnic group's fire pit, to walk trails untouched by crowds."
Li's decision to trade iconic landmarks for a slower, more culturally grounded experience reflects a broader transformation sweeping across China's travel scene.
This year's five-day May Day holiday, which concluded on Monday, highlighted a clear shift: more and more Chinese travelers are moving beyond traditional sightseeing.
Instead, they are seeking immersion -- deep, personal experiences that blur the line between observer and participant.
Data from tourism platform Tongcheng Travel highlights this trend. While major cities like Beijing and Shanghai remain popular, long-distance domestic travel surged westward, with such destinations dominating flight bookings. Over half of the top travel routes connected to southwest China's Chengdu, Chongqing, Yunnan and Guizhou, as urban professionals left skyscrapers behind for misty peaks and open grasslands.
Even locals from Chengdu were heading farther west, flying to Lhasa to experience the allure of Xizang.
According to travel platform Fliggy, bookings for less-traveled destinations like Beitun in Xinjiang, Qamdo in Xizang, Golog in Qinghai, and Nujiang in Yunnan surged by over 100 percent year on year.
Analysts at the Tongcheng Research Institute credit the appeal of China's west to both upgraded infrastructure and a rich array of natural and cultural experiences -- mountains, lakes, deserts and grasslands that promise the authenticity today's travelers crave.
This rising preference for "slow travel" is not just in numbers but in intention. Many travelers are rejecting fast-paced, checklist-style tourism in favor of meaningful encounters.
In Qingchuan County, Sichuan, visitors capture rare and precious encounters with wild takins through their camera lenses. In Lincang, Yunnan, crowds gathered for the Wa ethnic festival, joyfully smearing one another with natural pigments, a gesture of blessings and shared joy.
Even historic sites are reimagining how they engage visitors. At the ancient Guanque Tower in Shanxi, tourists now interact with costumed actors who reenact Tang Dynasty scenes, turning classical poetry into an immersive performance. In Wuhu, Anhui, a 100-year-old customs house has been digitally revamped with AR exhibitions.
For others, immersion takes to the skies. He Jixu, a tourist from Sichuan, took his first helicopter ride in Sanya, Hainan. "Seeing the ocean from above was surreal, like the world expanded," he said.
Wang Xiaoling from Inner Mongolia pushed her limits even further by trying skydiving. "The second I jumped, fear turned into awe," she recalled. "It wasn't just fun; it changed how I see risks and myself."
These high-adrenaline experiences are catching on fast. An extreme sports club in Sanya reported a 70 percent surge in skydiving bookings during the holiday, fueled largely by younger travelers.
For a growing number of Chinese travelers, the era of passive sightseeing is giving way to something deeper. Travel is no longer just about seeing the world -- it's about stepping into it.
"Ten years ago, I would've rushed to tick off the must-sees," said Li Li, the traveller from Beijing. "Now, the 'musts' are the moments you never plan." Enditem
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